You're My Favorite Baby Bird
by Jess Altamont
Summary: I apologize for the OOCness, especially for Damian. Although, I do believe he does have a heart...so maybe this isn't too far from home. I just wanted something cute so I wrote late last night about a formation of a bond between Selina Kyle and Damian.


"You're gonna love her."

"You'll get used to having her around."

"You're gonna love having a little sister."

If Damian had to hear any of those phrases (or one of the many variations) one more time…well, he wasn't sure what he'd do but he knew that it'd be violent. He'd heard it from his father, from Alfred, from Dick, from Tim, from Alex and even from Amy, as if they were so sure that getting a little sister would be the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. If anything, it was only the latest in a series of events that were slowly ruining his life: first, this harlot, Selina Kyle was moving into Wayne Manor—his manor! Then, his father asked her to marry him, a matter that everyone around him seemed to be excited over, everyone but him, of course. Damian's own father was expecting him to just go along with it. And now, she was pregnant and everyone was so excited about the arrival of the "bundle of joy."

He had withdrawn into his room about an hour ago, in an attempt to get away from the constant talk of the newest member of the Wayne family. It would be a girl, was all he knew for sure, because no one would stop talking about how precious she would be and how much calmer it would be with another girl in the house. Damian didn't know why, but he hated this unnamed and unborn sister, he hated her more than he could possibly say. Just as this conclusion was reached, there was a knock on the door, "Damian, can I come in?"

The voice behind the door was familiar to Damian, belonging to someone that he didn't want to see at this particular moment, so he didn't get up to open the door, instead just mumbling the word, "Fine," and hoping that would suffice.

Just as he suspected, Selina Kyle walked into his room. Although she looked a lot like her usual self, it was obvious that she was pregnant, especially as she was in her third trimester and could give birth any day now. Everyone was fawning over her, his own father refused to let her do anything on her own and Alfred, along with Dick and Tim, were at her beck and call when he was out taking care of Wayne Enterprises.

Selina looked down at Damian and noticed the immediate glare that he expressed as they made eye contact. Too bad, she didn't care about boundaries. She did, however, close the door behind her, before sitting down on the bed next to him. Immediately he shifted away and she smiled at him, trying not to laugh at his face, as he looked adorably enraged by her audacity.

"What do you want," Damian asked, his voice audibly bitter.

"I just wanted to talk to you," was her response as she reached out to touch his hair.

Immediately, Damian smacked Selina's hand away before speaking, "Do not touch me. What could you need to talk to me about? And where is my father?"

"Bruce is working. He's got business to take care of for Wayne Enterprises, although he didn't tell me what. He wanted me to talk to you. He thought it could help you-," she paused for a bit. "We thought it could help you adjust to the situation."

"What's that supposed to mean," Damian was angered at this, something that Selina had said struck a chord within him. "I _am_ adjusted to the situation."

"Then what's the matter, Baby Bird," Selina asked, trying to maintain eye contact with the uncompromising boy sitting in front of her.

"Stop calling me that! I'm not your 'baby bird' and you are not my mother! Do you really think that you're going to be around for that long? All my father's going to do is leave you, just like he left _my _mother. What makes you think you're so special? You're disposable, just like she was."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it bothered you that much, bab—err, I mean Damian, I won't call you that anymore. And I know this is hard for you to understand, but Damian, I am going to be here for a while and I don't plan on going anywhere. Bruce and I love each other and we plan on being happy together for as long as we possibly can. I know it's difficult for you to accept but your mother hid you away from Bruce; she didn't want him to know about you. And, Damian, she used you; she didn't care about you. She just let you go."

Damian looked at Selina now, more angry than ever, not because of the accusations that Selina had placed upon his mother, but because it was all true and Damian knew that. Still, he didn't relent, yet, although by the look on his face, it was obvious to both of them that he soon would, "What do you know about any of this, you harlot?"

Selina bit her lip, the anger behind the insult was so genuine that she couldn't help but feel struck by it. Sure, she'd been called a lot worse, but the current circumstances made it hurt just a bit more, "I'm sorry, Damian. I didn't mean to say that. I'm not trying to replace her, but I do love Bruce and I love you too."

Her last four words made Damian look up at Selina. Once again, something about her words struck him, but it was in a different way; it still hurt, but it was a different type of pain. Talia had never told Damian that she loved him, in fact, she rarely spoke to him, but here Selina was telling him that she loved him, even after all the terrible things that he'd said and done to her. Damian had never had a real mom…one that actually _loved _him. Selina loved him? He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing, instead freezing, completely, replaying her words in his head.

Selina took this a chance to hug him, holding him gently in her arms, trying to calm him down as he began to cry, "Damian, you don't need to see me as your mother, I'm not even asking you to. But, I do want us to get along, for the sake of Alfred, for Bruce and for…your sister. I want you to love your sister; I know she'll love you. You're going to be the best big brother ever. I know all of this is happening really fast and I'm sorry for that, but do you think we could try to get along? Please?"

Damian didn't answer, but Selina knew that he understood and that he agreed. The two of them would have a relationship closer to that of a real mother and son than what Damian would ever have with Talia. Damian knew this by this one-shared gesture between the two of them. In this one hug between he and the "harlot" was more of a sense of love than any gesture his biological mother had ever bothered to give. There was a sense of joy, of love, of happiness, of comfort and of security that he had never really known. There was little doubt in either of their minds that Damian would change. Sure, he wouldn't change visibly, but a part of him would be different, somehow.

"You'll always be my favorite, baby bird," she said, gently kissing him on the forehead. "But please, give your sister a chance. Give _me_ a chance. I'm not trying to replace your mother, I could never do that, but I'm gonna be here for you when you need me, I promise."

"I-I said don't call me that!"

"Shh, shh. Whatever you say…baby bird."


End file.
